CANADA STOCKS-TSX weakens on China data, emerging-market concerns

Reuters Staff

3 Min Read

* TSX falls 122.74 points, or 0.9 percent, to 13,572.20
* All of the 10 main index sectors decline
* RBC has biggest negative influence
* Teck down after it reports spill
By John Tilak
TORONTO, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index dropped
on Monday, led by declines in financial and energy shares as
sluggish economic data from China and worries about emerging
markets offset positive signals from Europe.
Data showed slower Chinese service sector growth, which hit
a five-year low, and weakness in the country's factory sector n
January. Investors have been nervous about the prospects for a
slowdown in the world second-biggest economy, a concern that has
been weighing on other emerging markets.
However, euro zone business surveys indicated that
factories recorded their strongest month since mid-2011 in
January, helped by improved hiring and a rebound in Germany.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's benchmark index, which recorded
a monthly gain in January, was down for a second straight
session on Monday.
"The China numbers tell me that they haven't gone into
freefall, but they've come down and they're still struggling,"
said Colin Cieszynski, senior market analyst at CMC Markets
Canada.
"We may just have to get used to a slowing growth rate out
of China," he added.
The benchmark S&P/TSX composite index was down
122.74 points, or 0.9 percent, at 13,572.20. All of the 10 main
sectors on the index were in the red.
Financials, the index's most heavily weighted sector, gave
back 1 percent. Royal Bank of Canada fell 1.2 percent to
C$68.11, and had the biggest negative influence on the index.
Manulife Financial Corp lost 2.3 percent to C$20.07.
A fall in the price of oil weighed on energy shares.
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd declined 1.3 percent to
C$36.03.
The materials sector, which includes mining stocks, was
little changed, with strength in gold-mining shares offset by a
drop in diversified miner Teck Resources Ltd.
Teck, whose shares fell 2.6 percent to C$26.10, said it was
investigating another spill at its Trail smelting complex in
British Columbia. It said it does not expect the incident to
have a long-term impact on fish or the environment.
Barrick Gold Corp rose 0.8 percent to C$21.62, and
Goldcorp Inc gained 0.9 percent to C$28.03.
In other corporate news, BCE Inc said 22,421 small
business customers' user names and passwords were posted online
over the weekend after an unnamed third-party supplier was
hacked. The stock shed 1.1 percent to C$46.26.